DINWIDDIE COUNTY, Va. — A Dinwiddie County man accused of threatening to kill a former Virginia lawmaker has accepted a plea deal.
Michael Strawmyer was arrested in September after sending a threatening text to then-Republican Delegate Kim Taylor during her unsuccessful re-election campaign. In the text, he threatened to kill Taylor and said "you are ruining this country."
Strawmyer later admitted to sending the text but said he did so out of anger over receiving unsolicited texts from Taylor's campaign, not out of personal malice toward her.
The plea deal reduces the maximum sentence Strawmyer can receive from 10 years to five.
In a statement, Taylor expressed gratitude that the matter is resolved:
"The individual who threatened my life has pleaded guilty and is being held accountable.
"My deepest thanks to the Dinwiddie County Sheriff's Office, the Commonwealth's Attorney's Office, and everyone who worked to ensure this case was taken seriously from day one. I'm also incredibly grateful to everyone who reached out with prayers, kind words, and support.
"Threats and political violence have no place in our Commonwealth or our country. No one should fear for their family's safety because they chose to serve their community. I'm thankful this chapter is behind us."
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